Sincerity Toward God
By Fr Elbert Balbastro, SSC
The sacrament of reconciliation or hearing confession is one of the ministries that I appreciate the most. I am blessed to journey with the penitent and be reminded that God is always a loving and forgiving God who always embraces us when we return to him. As I listen to their sins and give absolution I realized that Sincerity is the key ingredient in order for us sinners to be fully healed from the state of Sin. I believe that when there is sincerity there is commitment. It is also given that when we are sincere to change faith, complete trust in God will develop.
In a way, there is no sense in entering into the sacrament of confession without sincerity of heart because our aim for confession is not to be cleaned but to be healed. We cannot change things overnight; some of our sins come from deep wounds in the past. With that, sincerity is the fuel that drives us to combat temptation and restored our relationship with God. Sincerity also goes along with honesty. A person could be more trusted and has a sense of credibility if we can sense his or her sincerity. On the same note, God knows the deep longing of our hearts especially if we are sincere in asking for forgiveness.
As we journey toward the season of Lent, it would be great to develop a sense of sincerity in what we do especially in asking God for atonement for our sins. Our God is a sincere God who greatly loves us. It is fitting to reciprocate that love with a heart contrite and sincere in order for us to deepen our relationship with God.